__________________Choose your government: the majority ruling the minority, the minority ruling the majority, or everyone ruling themselves long as they do not initiate force, fraud, or theft against one another.

Trust me - renting costs just a bit more per month, but the peace of mind of renting a home is golden to me now. I won't buy another for quite some time (obviously).

Yep, yep. This is how I think about it. Buying a house for the tax break is a sand-trap. And houses cost more than you think, hidden costs, probably about equal with renting.

__________________Choose your government: the majority ruling the minority, the minority ruling the majority, or everyone ruling themselves long as they do not initiate force, fraud, or theft against one another.

On 11/11/11 my girlfriend and I went to pick up Skyrim for her as a present on the midnight release. After leaving gamestop I decided I REALLY wanted Twizzlers. You see, I've been on a strict diet and have lost nearly 50 pounds to get into fighting shape (yes mma). So we stop at a cvs real fast near the house. We get about 8 feet into the store when MY CAR comes crashing in through the front doors of the store, nearly hitting us both.

I used to drive race cars, so my first impulse is "OMG I FORGOT THE E-BRAKE", but then I remembered that it's my 2 month old jetta that we got in automatic. The party responsible were 2 girls that were leaving the store as we were walking in. They were sisters, and the younger of the two wanted to drive home late at night with her learners permit. Well the older sister said no and they were fighting about it. So the younger sister grabbed the steering wheel from the driver and turned it into my parked car. The sister jumped 2 curbs, for some reason slammed on the gas (girl stupidity?) and rammed into the front of my car. Then she decided to keep her foot on the gas and pushed my car through the front of the store. Keep in mind my car was NOT parked in front of the store, she pushed it backwards upwards of 30 feet! Had either of us stopped for any reason we'd have been killed probably.

Of course like all stories like this also end like this. They were driving their dads car, who had extremely bad insurance (Bristol West is the worst insurance company ever). Their company wouldn't pay for my totaled car because 2 totaled cars plus the structural damage to the building was waaaay over their policy. They wouldn't give me a rental car, wouldn't give me a cent for my damage, and gave the worst communication I could ever imagine was possible.

Fast forward to today, I've got a new car that's not a Jetta because I couldn't afford the cost of getting a new one after lost wages, rental fees, and having to pay my deductible (I was forced to go through my insurance provider). We're now forced to take legal action against the driver and her family because of this whole mess.

If there is a lesson in all of this it's 3 things. 1) Be thankful to be alive, mere seconds can decide that at any given time. Even while inside a cvs. 2) Be prepared for the unexpected, or at least don't be surprised when it happens. Even if you're doing everything right, somebody somewhere is doing everything wrong. 3) Skyrim was worth it, after cleaning all the glass off the unopened case that is.

On 11/11/11 my girlfriend and I went to pick up Skyrim for her as a present on the midnight release. After leaving gamestop I decided I REALLY wanted Twizzlers. You see, I've been on a strict diet and have lost nearly 50 pounds to get into fighting shape (yes mma). So we stop at a cvs real fast near the house. We get about 8 feet into the store when MY CAR comes crashing in through the front doors of the store, nearly hitting us both.

I used to drive race cars, so my first impulse is "OMG I FORGOT THE E-BRAKE", but then I remembered that it's my 2 month old jetta that we got in automatic. The party responsible were 2 girls that were leaving the store as we were walking in. They were sisters, and the younger of the two wanted to drive home late at night with her learners permit. Well the older sister said no and they were fighting about it. So the younger sister grabbed the steering wheel from the driver and turned it into my parked car. The sister jumped 2 curbs, for some reason slammed on the gas (girl stupidity?) and rammed into the front of my car. Then she decided to keep her foot on the gas and pushed my car through the front of the store. Keep in mind my car was NOT parked in front of the store, she pushed it backwards upwards of 30 feet! Had either of us stopped for any reason we'd have been killed probably.

Of course like all stories like this also end like this. They were driving their dads car, who had extremely bad insurance (Bristol West is the worst insurance company ever). Their company wouldn't pay for my totaled car because 2 totaled cars plus the structural damage to the building was waaaay over their policy. They wouldn't give me a rental car, wouldn't give me a cent for my damage, and gave the worst communication I could ever imagine was possible.

Fast forward to today, I've got a new car that's not a Jetta because I couldn't afford the cost of getting a new one after lost wages, rental fees, and having to pay my deductible (I was forced to go through my insurance provider). We're now forced to take legal action against the driver and her family because of this whole mess.

If there is a lesson in all of this it's 3 things. 1) Be thankful to be alive, mere seconds can decide that at any given time. Even while inside a cvs. 2) Be prepared for the unexpected, or at least don't be surprised when it happens. Even if you're doing everything right, somebody somewhere is doing everything wrong. 3) Skyrim was worth it, after cleaning all the glass off the unopened case that is.

That reminds me of the time me and my best buddies family went to a Bobs Big Boy for dinner and his mom forgot something in the car and went back to the car while we were seated, about 2 minutes later were we seated and waiting for her to come back, and boy did she, right through the side of the restaurant 2 tables away from us, luckily nobody was seated there.. It was rather scary. Till this day we have no idea why/how she did that.. She would not talk about it she was so embarrassed, even years later.

Big difference between a pro wall and an amateur wall. Blocks are surprisingly difficult to do well. And because of that, a good block guy can charge. I've seen prices of $10k just to do a single wall stretch on the side of a house.

Sure you could it yourself, but it's going to be obviously amateur.

Perk of living close to Mexico is good block-layers are in no shortage

Surely the police would be able to find a white Toyota truck with that much body damage. Especially if they get it repaired.

Unfortunately a lot of states have changed the hit and run laws. If there is only property damage and zero concrete (no pun intended) evidence like a plate or witness, law enforcement will not respond.

__________________
Clarkes 1st law

1:When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is probably wrong.

Then your wife divorces you and you get a new mortgage to pay her off for her half :P

__________________Choose your government: the majority ruling the minority, the minority ruling the majority, or everyone ruling themselves long as they do not initiate force, fraud, or theft against one another.

I got some smashed car windows from some dipshit teenagers a couple months ago. Figured it was the dumb-ass kids down the road and found a baseball-bat with glass stuck in the wood on their front porch.
Got their dad at the front door, who denied everything. Said they were with him the night before. So I waited on the porch as I called the cops (didn't mention the baseball bat to the guy), and when the 5-0 arrived I pointed out the hilariously obvious bat full of glass-shards.
Suddenly, the dad is MISTER HELPFUL, and his two boys got arrested. The dad has promised to pay for the repairs, but I haven't seen a dime. Apparently these kids have done this a few times around the neighbourhood and the local cops are none too pleased.
Last I talked to the Crown (prosecutor), they're pushing for putting the kids in a detention centre (I guess the 14 year old spilled his guts, and the 16 year-old is up shit creek for a 3rd offence).
Sucks to be them. I never would have been able to prove a thing if the retards hadn't left the bat propped up against the wall beside the front door.
Hope you have luck tracking these little shits down and they have well-off parents. I get to appear in court in 3 months and testify. I would have been happy with repaired glass.

Evil's house faces significantly degraded zombie repulsion ability for the time being :P

__________________Choose your government: the majority ruling the minority, the minority ruling the majority, or everyone ruling themselves long as they do not initiate force, fraud, or theft against one another.

I've been luckily immune to stupid teenagers/and or zombies thanks to keeping my car in the garage, having a sig p226 in 40 cal loaded with hydroshock and a king shepherd in my yard. Anyone who gets froggy with my property will in very rapid succession meet a giant guard dog, and then god.